Detroit Lions vs. Philadelphia Eagles Preview
By Aaron Meckes
Nov 17, 2013; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback
(9) passes the ball during the first quarter against the Washington Redskins at Lincoln Financial Field. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-USA TODAY Sports
Eagles Passing Offense vs. Lions Pass Defense
By now, if you pay any attention to the NFL you know that Nick Foles has been spectacular since taking over the reigns of the Eagles offense from Michael Vick. Under head coach Chip Kelly’s new system, Foles has completed over 63% of his passes to go along with 19 touchdown passes and ZERO interceptions in 196 pass attempts. DeSean Jackson is on pace for a career high in both receiving yards and touchdowns, and Riley Cooper has been a solid number two wide receiver. LeSean McCoy has been active out of the backfield, and the Eagles have been effective out of two tight end sets with Brent Celek and rookie Zach Ertz. Eagle quarterbacks have been sacked 35 times on the season, which is 10th worst in the NFL.
Detroit’s secondary has struggled at times, giving up just over 262 passing yards per game. That number is inflated by a propensity toward giving up big plays – in the last six games Detroit has given up at least one pass of 44 yards or greater. They are, however, coming off a game where they didn’t allow a Green Bay offensive touchdown while giving up just 139 passing yards. Chris Houston was sidelined with a foot injury, but rookie Darius Slay played well in his first full NFL game. The Detroit pass rush has been inconsistent, but showed the damage they can do last week, sacking Matt Flynn seven times.
Nick Foles is hot, and while Detroit’s pass defense is coming off their strongest performance of the year, they are still suspect. Advantage – Philadelphia